Solar Energy How It Works Diagrams

The diagram shows how it s all connected and helps you understand how solar solar energy job growth 2017 05 24 overall more than 260 000 people work in the solar industry up by 24 from 2015.

Solar energy how it works diagrams.

A standard solar panel also known as a solar module consists of a layer of silicon cells a metal frame a glass casing and various wiring to allow current to flow from the silicon cells silicon atomic 14 on the periodic table is a nonmetal with conductive properties that allow it to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity. Solar power is one of them along with other familiar types like hydropower wind and geothermal sources. The more panels you have on a roof the more solar electricity you produce. During the energy crisis in the 1970s photovoltaic technology gained recognition as a source of power for non space applications.

The solar business has benefited from the falling cost of solar energy. The diagram above illustrates the operation of a basic photovoltaic cell also called a solar cell. The most common examples of renewable energy include wind rain geothermal heat waves tides sunlight and waves. What we see is that solar cells are the building blocks of a solar module also known as a solar panel and when you put more than one solar panel together you get a solar array.

When sunlight hits a solar cell energy is absorbed by the cell s semiconductor material usually silicon. The concept of producing energy from the sun may seem simple on the surface but is quite complex in practice. Once the sun hits the panels the energy is made into electricity. Radiation energy is absorbed by semi conductor cells normally silicon and transformed from photo energy light into voltaic electrical current.

When the sun s radiation hits a silicon atom a photon of light energy is absorbed knocking off an electron. Solar hot water and solar thermal energy facts. Solar energy diagram 5 concentrated solar power csp concentrated solar power or csp works by using an array of lenses or mirrors to focus a large area of sunlight solar thermal energy onto a small area. Solar energy is a part of our everyday.

Solar energy diagram technological advancements have provided us with clean and renewable ways to reduce our dependence on fossils fuel. How do solar panels work to generate electricity. This is called a photovoltaic process. The two diagrams presented below clarify the two primary aspects of solar energy and make it easier to understand how it fits into the larger question of energy production and use.

How solar panels work.